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Spoilers Rabbit in the Moon/White Rabbit

Discussion in 'Switch Pokémon Games' started by Wolf Expert, Feb 27, 2019.

  1. Wolf Expert

    Wolf Expert Canine Scholar

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    This might be a kind of a different take on this, but, in addition to following the usual zodiac trend for fire starters, I just had another idea for something the rabbit starter could be based on.

    You might be familiar with the Japanese Rabbit in the Moon story, or at least have heard of it. In the story, the old man of the moon (might have been a god? That's just what he was called in the version I found) came to earth and disguised himself as a beggar. He asked 3 animals, a monkey (yup, there's a monkey in it too), a fox, and a rabbit for some food. The monkey brought back fruits, the fox caught a fish, but the rabbit had nothing to offer. Instead, the rabbit asked the beggar to build a fire and tried to throw itself into the fire to offer itself as food for the begger. The begger turned back into the old man, rescued the rabbit, and rewarded it's selflessness with a place on the moon. There's a South American version that's pretty similar too, so it's a story that's apparently told around the world.

    Of course there are theories (pretty well substantiated ones at that) that the new Galar region is the Pokémon world's version of the UK. So are there any stories like this in the UK? Yeah, kinda. In Celtic mythology, there is a shape-shifting goddess named Cerridwen who, among other things, is a moon goddess. She has the ability to shape-shift, usually into animals with white fur, including a rabbit in one particular story. The white rabbit is shown in relation to other Greek, Roman, and Norse lunar gods too, and is likely the inspiration behind the white rabbit from Alice in Wonderland and the Easter Bunny. I had wondered earlier why it was white, since that seemed like kind of an oddly specific color choice for a fire starter, so I think this is a pretty good explanation.

    So my guess is that Scorbunny is a combination of the Asian stories about a moon rabbit (accounting in part for its fire typing?) and the older European stories that all tend to specifically involve a white rabbit.
     
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  2. BZRich64

    BZRich64 The Mustachiod Machamp

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    This is certainly an interesting theory. Personally, I kind of doubt it and think that Scorbunny's white coloration is more because white is just a common/well known fur color for domestic rabbits, but who knows. It is entirely possible that they did take inspiration from any or all of those stories.
     
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  3. Wolf Expert

    Wolf Expert Canine Scholar

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    Another possibility, also linking it to an Asian version of the rabbit in the moon, I've noticed this comparison coming up a lot:

    [​IMG]

    For now I'm choosing to believe this was intentional. I really hope it was. Infernape was based on Sun Wukong, who apparently at one point fought against the rabbit in the moon, depicted as a white rabbit.

    [​IMG]
     
  4. BZRich64

    BZRich64 The Mustachiod Machamp

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    Yeah, that does make the connection a bit stronger. Game Freak do tend to add a surprising amount of detail into their mythological connections sometimes and I wouldn't be too surprised if this was part of their plan for the Scorbunny line, so we definitely can't rule out the possibility.
    Also, I don't think I could possibly think of a more uneven fight.
     
  5. Glitxel

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    Now that just makes me want to see a battle between the two fire starters xD

    The connection is pretty surprising and interesting though I dont think it has too much of a connection to all the myths. White is a common rabbit color and maybe they just wanted to take a break from all the yellows and oranges that are common in fire types
     

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